[attack_condor]

2408.9

Mentocka VIII
...onboard CDS Leeds...

The captain was called to the bridge. In his hand he held the message from the Navy ordering the withdraw.

“We have been ordered to withdraw to Ushphada. We have been ordered to abandon the colonists to their fate. Over 100 million citizens with one weapon platform between them and oblivion.”

Sam Chase didn’t necessarily agree with the order either, but all saw the logic of it. Even if they did successfully engage that many ships, they were limited with the number of missile salvos they had on board. The Abbidon surely had numerous point defense ships scattered throughout their fleet that would further reduce the effectiveness of the Dawn frigates. The captain spoke again.

“I will not comply with these orders.”

The bridge crew looked at each other. Their decision was unanimous. They would stay.

Well, almost all of them would stay.

The captain spoke again.

“While I can make the decision for myself, and recognize your decision as officers in the fleet, I cannot speak for everyone. We are therefore transferring the remainder of the crew to Melbourne for transport back to Ushphada. Mr. Chase? Will you please accompany them?”

Sam Chase was stunned.

“Sir! I respectfully request to stay on board! Sir!”

The captain shook his head.

“Thank you Mr. Chase, but we have the picture of what we are facing. I won’t need a sensor officer to tell me the enemy is coming for me.” He smiled. “We’ll be able to see them just fine, Sam. Now do me the favor of escorting the men and women to safety. And Lieutenant Chase?”

Sam Chase stood at attention.

“Yes sir?”

“Make sure they spell our names right.”

Chase saluted and was granted permission to leave the bridge. He said nothing on the shuttle to Melbourne, nor on the way back to Ushphada.

Mentocka VIII
...onboard CDS Leeds...

The Abbidon did slightly change their orders. Only sixteen of the tweny-three ships attacked Mentocka VIII. Twenty seconds into the engagement, Leeds fired two missiles at the first Abbidon frigate. Leeds then turned to run parallel with the firing arcs of the enemy ships. The captain wasn’t a fool. He knew his – and the colony’s – only chance at survival was to buy them one month to get a minefield in place. He willed the missiles to their target. The missiles did well, and the first frigate lost 75% of its armor. Five seconds later, the second salvo of missiles was away. They also did well, and the lead frigate had lost one engine and all of its armor. Leeds concentrated on the wounded Abbidon and fired her third salvo. This time, the Abbidon point defense performed better and the lead frigate took no more damage. The lead elements of the fleet were less than 250km from the planet.

On her fourth salvo, Leeds’ missiles penetrated the point defense of the Abbidon, and her target was struck. Explosions ripped the Abbidon frigate, and she was helpless, burning with no engines or weapons. The other fifteen ships moved right past her and approached within 150km of the planet. The Abbidon traded one ship for putting Leeds into a corner. There would be no more fancy maneuvering. The captain on Leeds tried to skim the planet and draw the Abbidon into the range of the weapon platform that would begin to engage at 110km.

At 115km away from the planet, the new lead ship was an Abbidon missile frigate. She was the new target for Leeds, who fired salvo number five. The captain knew he had fifteen shots left, then he would become a spectator.

At 40 seconds into the battle, the Hercules weapon platform fired its two anti-proton beams and hit the Abbidon frigate, stripping away 18% of its armor.

At 42 seconds into the battle, the missiles from Leeds clawed through the point defense and stripped another twenty percent of armor away. The wounded frigate also launched its missile, and the Hercules immediately fired a flak cannon burst at it.

The Abbidon missile was destroyed, and the missile frigate took another hit from the anti-photon cannons, along with a pair of hits from meson blasters. It had only about fifteen percent of its armor left. A second Abbidon frigate was now in range and it also fired a missile, responded to again by the flak cannon of the Hercules.

The missile frigate was hit by more beams and blasters, and was disarmed. The crew on the Hercules immediately targeted the next frigate. Two more frigates were now in range and fired.

More and more frigates began to fire on the planet, and DUCs started to rain down onto the planet’s surface. The Hercules was shielded, and her shields were holding, but other structures were beginning to take damage.

At fifty-six seconds into the battle, the Leeds was wounded by DUC fire, and her last act was to ram an Abbidon frigate that was just about to launch a missile. The Abbidon survived, but it was disarmed. Leeds disappeared in a violent explosion.

At one minute and fifteen seconds into the battle, the Abbidon finally broke through the Hercules weapon platform and disarmed it. There was now nothing standing in the way of Mentocka VIII and total annihilation. Of the sixteen ships the Abbidon attacked with, two were badly damaged and six were destroyed. The Dawn empire had lost the frigate Leeds and their first planet. The colonists on Mentocka VII had the time to complete and launch their minefield. Heartened by the performance of the Hercules V weapon platforms, they began construction in earnest on more of them. The research department had improved the shielding and range of the anti-photon cannon, and these improvements were incorporated as the people on Mentocka VII fought desperately for the right to exist...

Ushphada system
Usphada-Tilikanthua warp point...

The fighters were almost fully supplied. Twenty-eight of them patrolled the warp point. They knew what was happening on the other side of the Tilikanthua system. They knew also the five ship fleet was due back in at any time.

But not this early.

“Eagle lead, this is Eagle seventeen. Activity at the point. Sensors show a ship coming in.”

“Eagle lead, Eagle twenty. Confirmed. Something is coming through now.”

The leader of the fighters now had to decide. Call Ushphada control, wait and see what materialized, or open fire. He decided to hedge his bets and do all three.

“Eagles, open fire. Say again – open fire. The ship is not, repeat not friendly.”

With the amount of fighters at the warp point, they would fire, circle as their weapons recharged, and fire again. Meanwhile, the fighters in the second rank would be firing as the first rank recharged their beams, and so on. While this ballet was playing out, the call to Ushphada control confirmed the fleet was not due in until next week.

Whatever was coming through was doing so at their own risk.

As it turned out, the ship that almost materialized was a Cue Cappa frigate. The fighters destroyed it in good order. Only two fighters reported damage. Later that week, the fleet did arrive. Melbourne and Sniper remained at the point. Sam Chase transferred the remnants of the Leeds’ crew to Northampton as both they and Lugosi headed for the space yard at Ushphada I. There, Chase would relate the story about how Leeds had engine anomalies and could not warp out of Mentocka. The intelligence officer who was debriefing Chase told him that Leeds was reported destroyed as was the colony at Mentocka VIII.

Chase made sure they spelled the names right...

Ushphada system
Ushphada I space yard...

The refit was underway for both ships. Lugosi was being converted into a stealth ship. Northampton was refitting into the next generation of England frigates. This time there was a major shift in policy, as missiles were being replaced on the frigates by anti-photon beams. Northampton would get a level 6 shield and a level 2 shield regenerator. She also was fitted for a solar collector and a solar sail. Her speed in simulation trials was 17km/sec, and with three anti-photon beams her ability to cause harm was impressive. No longer would the empire rely on ordinance weapons to keep the enemy at length.

Ushphada-Tilikanthua warp point...

Nine more fighters joined the twenty-eight already there. There were five more just one sector away, and the space yard at Ushphada I was about to commission a minelayer. The colonists, both Terran and Phong, on Ushphada VII had twenty-four mines ready to be loaded and would have twenty-four more next month. This warp point was to become the point to hold and preserve the integrity of the Ushphada system and the Dawn Empire.

Lacerta system
...onboard CDS Beagle...

Two sectors away from the Lacerta-Sheliak warp point, Cabrerra found a medium gas-giant planet with oxygen atmosphere. In a more benign time, Dawn might have negotiated to colonize it, but not today. Cabrerra saw an Eee survey ship in Lacerta, and included that into his report. He had one more system to jump through unnoticed before he would be home...

Zezzis system
Zezzis I...

The operation to remove the last Phong colony in Zezzis had begun. The troops and fighters that occupied successfully Zezzis VII now would fight for control at Zezzis I. This time, there were actual ground forces to overcome along with militia, but they had been softened up with a barrage of DUC from space. The captured Phong and Sithrak frigates performed the bombardment. Damage to the radioactive extraction facilities was light, and – should the colony fall into Dawn hands – would be quickly repaired. On Zezzis VII; Southampton, West End and Karloff were being refit as England IX frigates. The outcry against toxic weapon usage was heard, and the military deemed the project closed. It wasn’t closed due to the public outcry, but rather the frustration of not being able to upgrade the captured ships. Toronto had completed her upgrade, and Montreal moved to the Phong shipyard to await her turn...